Three or four horse hitch.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

FNO 871,316.

' F. G. ALVORD.

THREE 0R POUR HORSE HITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1907.

I III II? FRANKLIN G. ALVORD, OF ESTELLE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

THREE OR FOUR HORSE HITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed Mav 16. 1907. Serial No. 874,088.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN G. Ar.- VORD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Estelle, in the county of oods, Territory ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Three orFour Horse Hitches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to hitching devices for farming machinesand implements and in particular to that class of hitching devices inwhich it is desired to equalize the draft of animals not symmetricallydisposed with reference to the machine being hauled.

The particular object of my invention. is to reduce toga minimum, theundesirable effects of side draft.

A further object is to provide a more simple and efficient device forequalizing the draft on the machine.

Otherand further. objects will appear in the following description andwill be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan View of the hitch complete; and Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the same with parts broken away on the line 22, Fig. 1.

In the use of three or four horses to a plow, it is desirable to haveone of the orses walk in the furrow while the others walk in thestubble, or if they be used with a harvesting machine, it is desirableto have the forward strain of the horses applied to a greater degree onone side than on the other in order to avoid trampling the grain whichis being out. It thus becomes necessary to use some device for eveningup theunequ ally distributed draft exerted by the several horses, andtonullify, as far as possible, the bad effects of side draft. Theseresults I accomplish by means of the structure disclosed in thefollowing description.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is the tongue of-the vehicle, providedat 2 with a bolt or pivot about which oscillates the primary lever 3..This lever 3 is pivoted at 2 at such a point in its length, as toprovide a longarm 4 and a short arm 5, the latter impinging on thespring 8. Also carried by the pivot 2 and adapted to have its outer endswinging freely, is a secondary link or lever 6 which in its outer endcarries a pin 7 upon which is pivoted the bowed pressure-absorbingspring 8. ,Rigidly attached to the tongue 1 and in the same plane thespring 8, is a wedge-shaped lug 9. lo adapt the spring 8 to actcooperatively with this lug 9, it is provided on the end with a slightlyoutwardly-turned portion 10 which permits of a sliding movement on theangular face of said lug. From this description, it will be seen thatthe spring 8 is adapted to slide along the tongue 1 while at the sametime being pressed to the tongue by means of the secondary link 6. Itwill further be seen that the lug 9 has for its purpose to limit theendwisc movement of the spring.

In the extreme end of the primary lever 3 is a hole adapted to receive alarge bolt 11 by means of which the main draft or evener bar is attachedto the mechanism described above. As shown in dotted lines in thedrawings, an evenor bar having provision for three horses is pivoted onthe bolt 11. Upon one end of the evener bar is carried a double treebearing two individual whillletrees while on the other end correspondingto the side upon which lies the plowed ground or field of grain, isattached a swingle tree.

Any suitable number of bolt holes may be provided in the evener bar forvarying the point of its attachment, one such hole being shown at 15 alocation thereof suitable for the hitching up of four horses.

To provide means for preventing an excessive angular displacement of theprimary lever 3 about its pivot 2, a pair of auxiliary links 13 and 14are used to connect the draw bolt 11 to a pin 16 carried by the tongue.

WVhile I have shown in the drawings only one adaptation of my invention,I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as it isvery evident that various modifications might be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A draft-equa izer comprising a tongue, a primary lever pivotedthereon, a secondary lever pivotally attached thereto at one of itsends, a double bowed spring carried by the other end of the secondarylever in such manner as to adapt it to slide longitudinally along thetongue and to be impinged upon by one end of the primary lever, a lugcarried by the tongue to limit the longitudinal movement of the slidablespring, and means residing in the other end of said primary leverwhereby the main draw-bar may be attached to the primary lever atvarying distances from the tongue. Y 2. A draft-equalizer comprising atongue, a primary lever having long and short arms pivoted thereto,adjustable means carried by the long arm for attaching the main drawbarthereto, a pair of auxiliary links also attached to the long arm and tothe tongue whereby the swing ofthe primary lever is limited, a secondarylever pivotally movable about the pivot of the primary lever, a doublebowed spring pivotally mounted in the outer end of the secondary leverin such manner as to hold the spring against the tongue while permittinga sliding movement therealong, and a lug carried by the tongue forlimiting the rearward movement of the spring. 3. A draft-equalizercomprising a primary lever adapted for pivotal connection to the tongueof a farm implement in such manner as to provide long and short armsthereto; a

pressure-absorbing spring slidable longitudinally on the tongue andadapted to be impinged upon by the short arm of the primary lever, asecondary lever pivoted at one end to the tongue and retaining saidpressureabsorbing spring by a pivot in the other end thereof; and anadjustable means carried by the long arm of said primary lever wherebyan evener-bar may be 'connected'on to said primary lever.

4;. draft-equalizer comprising a primary link lever adapted for pivotalconnection to the tongue of a farm implement in such manner as toprovide long and short arms thereto, a pressure-absorbing springslidable longitudinally upon the tongue, a secondary link-member pivotedat one end to the tongue and at its other end to the pressure-absorbingspring whereby the said s ring is retained in slidable connection witthe tongue and adapted to be impinged upon by the shorter end of thesaid primary link-lever.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANKLIN G. ALVORD. Witnesses:

A. L. FEATHER, D. H. PowERs.

